Maritime Museum is an anchor for the village

Thursday

Mar 14, 2013 at 2:00 AMMar 14, 2013 at 11:00 PM

All roads lead to the Cape Cod Maritime Museum on South Street in Hyannis.

Ellen Chahey

ELLEN C. CHAHEY PHOTOS

WELCOME TO A GEM – The Cape Cod Maritime Museum is a gem, says executive director Janet Preston, and has opened for the season this week with another gem inside – “The Art of the Catboat” – which features models, paintings, sculptures, and other creations related to the elegant craft.

Art, crafts, and a sense of history

All roads lead to the Cape Cod Maritime Museum on South Street in Hyannis.

Not only can you get there by bus, boat, bicycle or train. You can also get there because you love history, art, science, boatbuilding, and all things Cape Cod.

“We’re an important part of the Cape’s history,” said Janet Preston, executive director since 2009. “We’re getting back to our roots,” she explained, “because we’re having visitors understand that we’re not just a pretty beach. We have [on Cape Cod] boatbuilding, fishing, environmental studies, arts, creativity, and science and technology.”

The museum opened this week for the season. Its hours are 10 to 4 Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 4. Monday visits are available by appointment.

Preston said that the museum has been growing as a community resource in educational programming. Although the Barnstable schools take the most advantage of its offerings, the museum has also provided studies for schools in Chatham, the Nauset system, and Mashpee.

“We do a lot of after-school programs,” said Preston. She added that the museum’s educational mission is not only for school-agers. They offer many experiences for adults as well, including a boat-building class and a workshop on Sailor’s Valentines.

The museum also offers rides in Lewis Bay on the catboat Sarah. Work will begin soon to ready Sarah for her May to October season. Also during the nice weather, the museum provides a free outdoor space with picnic tables (under umbrellas when appropriate), and a “climb-aboard” landlocked boat with interactive games for children. Preston said that the boat has no name as yet as the museum is waiting for someone to step up with a gift in exchange for naming rights.

Another of the museum’s ties to the rest of Hyannis is its Kennedy connection. “We’re very excited to be part of the Kennedy Legacy Trail,” said Preston. “Ted was a big supporter of the museum. We have a video of him speaking at the launch of the Sarah.”

For the winter, Sarah “lives” in a protective shed built recently for her and for student projects and donated craft, some of which date back decades. Just outside sits the Independence, a little electric boat designed to teach about environmentally-friendly designs.

For those who are more eyes-on than hands-on, the Hyannis museum has two exhibits for a limited time.

This is the last season to see the timbers of the Sparrow Hawk, which wrecked off Nauset in 1626 and was buried in sand and mud until a storm uncovered the hull in 1862. It was given to the Pilgrim Society in Plymouth and will return to Pilgrim Hall there at the end of the 2013 season here in Hyannis.

“The Art of the Catboat,” which runs through July 6, offers a look at, in addition to a real catboat, some models (including three by Joseph Keveney that inspired the show), and paintings and three-dimensional art.

Stan Grayson, author of Cape Cod Catboats, which Preston called the “definitive” book about the craft, has contributed an essay for the exhibit. “One needn’t be an expert to recognize that the catboat is distinctive,” wrote Grayson. He continued, “With its broad hull, a stout mast at the bow, and traditional gaff rig, the catboat is a functional vessel. Its design was dictated by its natural habitat – the shallow, wind-swept waters of Nantucket Sound.”

To those who come to contemplate the craft, Grayson wrote, “Find your own thoughts regarding the timeless beauty of the Cape Cod catboat and what draws us to it.”

The Cape Cod Maritime Museum collaborates with artists across the Cape and with arts, civic, and business organizations in Hyannis. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, and free for children under 7 and members. For more information, call 508-775-1723 or visit capecodmaritimemuseum.org